I have been an artist all of my life and have tried various styles including water painting, modeling clay for figurines and scenery, charcoal, and pencil art.  I’ve never sold or displayed any of my art at a museum.  I have drawn a few customs pieces for family and friends over the years.  I enjoy the experience of creating various types of art and also enjoy viewing the creations of other artists as well.  

Currently, the three forms of art I’m engaged in is doing the setup and creating scenery for my son’s Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Trackmaster displays.  I’m also learning how to do watercolor paintings and painting clay figurines for fun with my daughter. 

The model trains setup is a “moving form of art and we do three shows a year.  A different layout is featured every year.  

My son and I are members of the Sioux Valley Model Engineering Society based at the Empire Fairgrounds here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  We put on several open houses a year and also have classes for creating your own model railroad with scenery.  We are a non-profit, 501(c) organization and also teach train safety as well.  We have our annual Trains at Christmas event the third weekend in November at the Empire Fairgrounds, participate in the DSED (Dakota Southeastern Division model railroad club) train show the last weekend in March at the Multicultural Center here in Sioux Falls, as well as one out-of-town fundraising event for diabetes on the second weekend in March located in South Sioux City, Nebraska at the Delta Conference Inn hosted by the Cosmopolitan Club.

We hope you’ll come and visit our Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends moving model train layout sometime at one of our annual shows or visit the largest model railroad display built by all of the club members located here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the Empire fairgrounds.